The leader of the Church England and Wales has joined a major ongoing campaign against religious discrimination around the world. 

Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster released a statement on Tuesday in support of Aid to the Church in Need’s (ACN) petition calling on countries to fulfill the commitments set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which defends religious freedom. 

“All too often Article 18 is ignored. Men and women are imprisoned, others are driven from their homes, or even killed, simply because of their peacefully held beliefs,” Moth said.

“In some countries women and girls are kidnapped, forced to renounce their faith and marry their abductors, children are denied the right to learn about their faith. Many people – young and old alike – are the victims of religious hatred. They suffer abuse and discrimination in the streets, at school and at work,” he added.

ACN’s petition has been signed by parliamentarians such as Lord Alton of Liverpool, Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, and a host of religious leaders including Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, Iraq, and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Angaelos of London.

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“We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Christ and stand in support of all those who suffer for their beliefs, recognising religious freedom as a universal human right,” Moth said.

Lord Alton, one of the key signatories of the petition, told Crux Now that violators of religious freedom rights usually violate other human and civil rights, as well. 

“When the principle of freedom of religion or belief is violated,” Alton said, “it is often an indicator that other human rights are at risk too.”

“In that sense it is a canary in the mine – the bird which warned the miners that toxic lethal chemicals were beginning to leak into their working environment. Ignore the warnings and the consequences are catastrophic,” he said.

“Article 18 of the 1948 UDHR guarantees the right to believe, not to believe or to change belief. Flagrant breaches by signatories to the UDHR should be called out and examples of violations regularly placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council,” Alton said.

“Cases should also be raised in bilateral meetings between the UK and offending nations. Too often we stay silent and turn a blind eye,” he added.

According to ACN’s most recent Religious Freedom in the World Report, 5.6 billion people live in countries where persecution, oppression or discrimination are perpetuated either by their government or religious groups. 

“Religious freedom is violated in many parts of the world. I would put China, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria and Nicaragua very high on the list,” Alton said.

John Pontifex, Head of Press and Public Affairs at ACN (UK), told Crux Now restrictions on freedom of thought and belief are often a key stage in a country’s descent into oppression and totalitarianism. 

“History has shown that again and again freedom of thought, conscience and religion is so often, if not invariably, the first casualty as a country slides from freedom to oppression,” Pontifex said.

“Freedom of religious expression is often an easy target for attack either by the state or non-state actors so forces of oppression often target it first in their attempt to suppress people,” he said.

“In so many of the countries I have visited, where persecution is rife, both community leaders and people on the ground have pointed out this phenomenon,” he added.

Pontifex pointed out, for example, that in North Korea “owning a Bible, having contact with religious missionaries and attending a religious service can result in torture or forced labour.”

“We want to create a powerful universal call to uphold not only the rights of Christians but people of all faiths, and none,” Pontifex said.

To view and sign ACN’s petition for religious freedom click here.

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